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WMU men's basketball team 'still pushing buttons' to find aggression, production from bench

Jared Klein.jpg

Western Michigan sophomore Jared Klein goes up for a layup in a game against Cornell on Nov. 29. Klein has been the best option off the bench so far this season for the Broncos, who are getting outscored by opposing reserve corps 160-78 this season.
(Erin Gignac | MLive.com)

KALAMAZOO, MI – David Brown approached his role as a bench player last season with one mentality.

The Western Michigan University men’s basketball senior guard said he did his best last year to be an instant spark and he did it well as he averaged over 10 points per game as the first man off of coach Steve Hawkins’ bench and he was named the Mid-American Conference Sixth Man of the Year.

Brown is starting this year and aside from being a vocal leader on the court for the Broncos, he is also leading the team in scoring, averaging just over 20 points per game.

Steve Hawkins

Finally healthy after a battle with knee and ankle injuries, Brown has been a big boost for WMU’s starting rotation, but eight games into this season Hawkins is still searching for production from the bench.

Western Michigan (5-3), which plays at No. 24 Missouri at 7 p.m. on
Sunday, is averaging 70.6 points per game. The Broncos’ starting
rotation is averaging 61.3 points per contest.

"Our lack of production from the bench has been a problem for us and remains our biggest challenge to date," Hawkins said. "It's about establishing a mindset of aggression.

“We’re still pushing buttons at this point, which is a little unsettling and also, I have to remind myself, somewhat normal. If you look around the country I think most coaches eight games into the season are doing similar things.”

The departure of power forward Darius Paul, last season's Mid-American Conference Freshman of the Year, was a curveball that led to Connar Tava becoming a starter this year after a successful freshman campaign as a key bench player.

Hawkins said he has options in his reserve corps this season, including sophomores Jared Klein, Taylor Perry and A.J. Avery, redshirt freshmen Kellen McCormick and Charles Harris, and freshman Mario Matasovic, but the Broncos’ longtime head coach is still looking for production from his bench, not just minute fillers.

WMU’s bench has been outscored in six games this season and is getting outscored by a combined margin of 160-78.

In Saturday’s 51-35 loss at Northwestern, Western Michigan’s bench was outscored 23-1 by the Wildcats’ reserves.

Klein has been the best option as an instant offensive spark so far this season. His 5.3 points per game leads all reserves and Hawkins seems to have the most faith in the Otsego native.

“Other than Jared Klein I don’t think we have anybody that can tell you coming off the bench they’re completely comfortable on the floor yet,” Hawkins said. “If they do, they’re lying because they’re just not there yet. Jared is the answer for us when it comes to offense, defense and understanding the system and he is the answer coming off the bench at his position.”

David Brown

When Brown entered the game last year he looked completely confident in what he was doing. Klein has had that body language this season.

Brown said his key to success last season was to take the court with a starter's mentality and it’s what every sixth man should have.

“He has to have that confidence and know that he can play with anybody and you can go out there and provide a spark,” Brown said. “You pretty much have the same mindset as a starter because the coaches have faith in you and are still playing you a ton of minutes. I would say having that confidence of knowing what you did in high school and that’s why you were recruited and that’s why you’re a D-I athlete.”

Hawkins said Harris, an athletic 6-foot-5 wing player, is close to being
100 percent after dealing with a knee injury and has a shot to be a
difference maker off the bench.

McCormick is the only other significant point scorer off the bench as he is averaging 4.6 points per game to go along with 1.6 rebounds per game in 13.3 minutes per contest. However, 10 of his 13 field goals have been 3-pointers and Hawkins said he’s noticed in recent games opponents have taken the long ball away from his 6-8 big man.

Hawkins said he believes Matasovic, whose 5.7 minutes per game average is lower than McCormick's and Avery's, is the most complete forward off the bench in terms of offense, defense and rebounding. However, Matasovic is a true freshman and still seems to be adjusting to Hawkins’ offensive system. He is averaging less than a point and rebound per game.

Avery is playing 9.7 minutes per game and is averaging just under one point and 2.6 rebounds per game.

No matter their role, Brown said the best way to come off the bench is with a clear head.

“That’s how you have to approach the game,” he said. “You have to just go out and play.”